The United States (US) has withdrawn its support for the Intergovernmental Forum on Mining, Minerals, Metals and Sustainable Development (IGF), just weeks after the body concluded a high-level mine closure and rehabilitation training in Migori County involving Kenyan and regional officials.
- •The decision follows an executive order by US President Donald Trump directing Washington to exit and end funding to dozens of international organisations deemed “contrary to the interests of the United States.”
- •The list includes IGF and the Office of the Special Adviser on Africa, a UN-linked body that has played a coordination role on development and governance issues affecting the continent.
- •In Migori, IGF had wrapped up a five-day capacity-building programme focused on mine closure planning, environmental bonding, abandoned mine risk assessment and site reclamation, issues that remain pressing in Kenya’s gold-rich but environmentally fragile mining regions.
IGF has been a key partner for resource-rich countries seeking to strengthen mining governance while supporting local livelihoods. Its work in Kenya has dovetailed with government efforts to formalise ASM activities, improve environmental safeguards and address legacy risks from poorly closed mines.
Under the executive order, US agencies have been instructed to immediately cease participation in or funding to IGF and more than 60 other non-UN and UN-affiliated bodies, including climate, biodiversity and development-focused institutions.
